Read and Review #22 - Kiss The Sky (Krista & Becca Ritchie)

Title: Kiss the Sky

Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Publication date: 22 January 2014

Publisher: K.B. Ritchie (Independent Book Publishers Association)

Get a copy! Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Virgin. Sex addict. Daredevil. Alcoholic. Smartass … Jackass. Her five friends are about to be filmed. Reality TV, be prepared.

Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she’s a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy.

After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she’s forced to make nice with a man who always has his way.

Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He’s confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose’s virginity.

This New Adult Standalone Romance can be described as Friends meets The Real World. Expect fist fights, drugs, sex of varying degrees, crude humor and competitive alpha males. Definitely for mature readers audiences only.

My rating:
5 / 5

My review:
A very concupiscent read!

Kiss the Sky is a spin off from the Addicted series written by the Ritchie twins. It is a standalone but please, PLEASE read the Addicted series. You'll get to know more about Rose and Connor and the history of their relationship. Not only that, you'll also fall in love with Lily, Lo, Ryke and Daisy as well. It's a rarity to fall in love with all the major couples at the same time but Krista and Becca manage to do that without taking the limelight out of the couple in focus. Each character development is parallel with the storyline, maintaining the focus of the story while getting to know them more in the process. 

When Rose was introduced in Addicted to You, I didn't really have a high opinion of her. She came across as frigid, strict and always try to inject herself in Lily's life. That was before I knew how important her presence is in her sister's life. Rose is the mother Lily desperately needed and from there I began to build my respect towards her.

I was very wary of Connor at first because of his tendency to hang out with people who benefits him. His confidence is his most prominent feature and I was reassured by his calm demeanour whenever Loren or Lily started to crack. To me, Connor has all the qualities of a leader and without a doubt I saw him as the leader of the group soon after. His famous bromance with Loren was a result of constant rebuttals from Loren's sharp tongue in his drinking days. And yes, I do ship them together. 

This book is so much different than the Addicted series. We get to see Rose and Connor as individuals who were affected by the scandal surrounding Lily and Loren. As a sister. As a friend. They are the adults that kept their little group of six together. And Rose wanted to show the world that they were in fact normal people with problems, not spoiled rich kids who lounge around spending their parents' money. And so Princesses of Philly was born.

Now, I watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians. I sometimes love it, sometimes I don't. Reality television opens a new channel for ordinary people like myself to see into the lives of celebrities. How many of it can you really trust? Do they really act that way in real life? Are any of it staged? Almost everything is real. It only takes good editing (good for production, not necessarily for the cast) to turn something trivial into a big deal, a good thing into bad. Krista and Becca definitely captured that in this book. 

About 61% of the book I was like this:

The other 36% like this:

And the rest:

I take back everything I ever said about Rose when it comes to her being so frigid. I can relate to her, about wanting to lose her virginity to a guy who would stick around. But I didn't expect for her to be a submissive in bed. She's a very fierce and strong woman and I thought that it would translate into her sex life.

"She didn't wish to rule a man in bed. She wanted to be ruled. But she didn't know how to ask without feeling weak. So she thought being alone, unfulfilled sexually was the better option. I'm here to tell her it should have never been a fucking solution in the first place."

 And trust me when I say Connor and Rose are amazing together as lovers. 

Connor is a perfect fit for Rose. The yin to her yang. The Clyde to her Bonnie. They are not very different from each other but the more I get to know them, I feel that they complement each other more rather than these two people who are together because they are alike. Not to mention the way they were so in sync with one another most of the time.

"That's the thing about being fucking smart—I  understand her better than she understands herself."

In a word, I guess towards the ending, it was really unpredictable. I was flummoxed by the change in the wedding plans but after two minutes I started screaming internally because I did not see it coming. And I liked it. LOVED IT.

Kiss the Sky is a story of a sister's sacrifice for her family. A son's desire for a family he never had. A woman's struggle with intimacy. And a man's search for the most important things in life.

Congratulations on your achievement at haunting me for months to come. Now I will cry in a corner because Connor just basically made me rethink of my choices in men.

Upcoming Release #3 - Be With Me (J. Lynn)

Title: Be With Me (Wait For You #2)

Author: J.Lynn
Publication date: 4 February 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Pre-order a copy! Amazon | Google Play Store | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Teresa Hamilton is having a rough year—she’s in love with her big brother’s best friend, but he hasn’t spoken to her since they shared a truly amazing, mind-blowing, change-your-life kiss. She got out of a terrible relationship. And now an injury is threatening to end her dance career for good. It’s time for Plan B – college. And maybe a chance to convince Jase that what they have together is real.

Jase Winstead has a huge secret that he’s not telling anyone. Especially not his best friend’s incredibly beautiful sister. Even though he and Teresa shared the hottest kiss of his life, he knows that his responsibilities must take priority. He certainly doesn’t have time for a relationship. But it doesn’t help that all he can think about kissing the one girl who could ruin everything for him.

As they’re thrown together more and more, Jase and Tess can’t keep denying their feelings for each other. But a familiar danger looms and tragedy strikes. As the campus recovers, the star-crossed couple must decide what they’re willing to risk to be together, and what they’re willing to lose if they’re not…

Teasers:

*Images are taken from J. Lynn's blog.

Initial thoughts:

Jase is a mystery to me. I don't know much about him but I suspected something going on that has to do with his brother. I may be wrong but I'll have to read the book to find out more. He's the total opposite of Cam. At least, that's the vibe I got from him from the multiple appearances that he made in the previous two books.

As for Tess, I already love her from reading Wait for You and Trust in Me. Cam is very protective of her and I wonder how he'll react to his best friend and his beloved sister being in a relationship. It would be fun. 

J. Lynn has that style of writing that mostly comprises of dialogues and monologues. I love a descriptive writing but somehow, after two books, I am still interested in reading more of her work. Cam was confident without being obnoxious, Avery sweet without being tacky.

From the excerpt included in Trust in Me, I knew that it would be a good read. I am excited for the release and yeah, pre-order a copy now!

Upcoming Release #2 - Maybe Someday (Colleen Hoover)

Title: Maybe Someday

Author: Colleen Hoover
Expected publication: 18 March 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Pre-order a copy! Amazon | Google Play Store | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance—and the enchanting music that inspires one young woman to put her life back together.

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

From the author of the New York Times bestsellers Slammed, Point of Retreat, Hopeless, This Girl, and Losing Hope, Maybe Someday is destined to become another bestseller and long-lasting fan favorite.

Initial thoughts:

Based on the books that I've read by Colleen Hoover, I know that I'm in for some emotional roller coaster ride. Good writing, epic soundtrack as usual which totally reminds me, this book already has a soundtrack. No, it's not a collection of songs from various artists made into a playlist. But a real soundtrack. Here are the list of songs in the soundtrack.

Clickety click on this link!

Every girl loves a guy who can play a guitar. And Ridge already won me over with his acoustic skills. All of Ms. Hoover's male lead have managed to capture my heart; Holder, Will and Daniel. And I am ready to make space for Ridge as well. 

Read and Review #15 - At Any Price (Brenna Aubrey)

Title: At Any Price (Gaming the System #1)
Author: Brenna Aubrey
Publication date: 9 December 2013
Publisher: Silver Griffon Associates
Get a copy! Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Achievement Unlocked: Geek Virgin 

When Mia Strong, proud geek-girl and popular gaming blogger, auctions off her virginity online, she knows she'll make waves. But what she will not be making is a love connection. Her rules are set in stone: One night. No further contact. It's a desperate step, but it's the only way she can go to medical school and pay her mother's mounting hospital bills. 

Difficulty Level: Millionaire CEO 

Adam Drake, the enigmatic auction winner, is a software prodigy who made his first million at seventeen. Now, in his mid-twenties, he's sexy, driven and--as CEO of his own gaming company--he's used to making the rules. Before Mia knows what's happening, he's found the loophole in the rules of her auction. Every stipulation she's made to protect her heart gets tossed by the wayside. She can't tell if he's playing her...or if he's playing for keeps.

My rating:

5 out of 5 starts gaming after reading this book

My review:

PERFECTION.

I was a little hesitant about reading this book when I first saw it. I mean, auctioning your virginity to a bunch of strangers, especially online is really bizarre and risky. There are perverts out there who would do anything to get a good fuck online and that's the scariest thing about the Internet. But okay, I have to read this to see how it goes. 

And I was blown away! 

I mean, there's Mia, gamer and blogger who spends her days playing games, studying, working as an orderly and blog about her games. She's pretty normal actually (because I do that and I don't know how I stay awake most of the time without coffee). She's auctioning her virginity for a good reason and she actually took it rather seriously, going over the rules and making sure her best friend, Heath (a law student I think) deal with the bidders before approving them. 

And in comes Adam Drake, who at the first meeting looked very arrogant, cold and had a hard exterior. Not to mention extremely good looking. In other words...

He also laid down his own rules, outwitting Mia at every turn. He managed to soften up around her, protecting her even. But because of his past, he would shrink away whenever they get too close and that leads to tons of sexual frustration in this story. 

Did I even mention the amount of sexual frustration that goes on in this story!? 

There are shit tons of them and I found myself yelling 'GET IT OVER WITH ALREADY!' every time they tease each other with kisses and touches. The connection between Mia and Adam is so strong but yet I felt like it's not enough. Even to the end I still feel like there's this huge barrier between them even after all their issues are laid out and no secrets are left (at least I hope so).

I am obsessed with this book. I cannot wait for the next one. Some might read this book and think, aww shit that's a whole lot of teasing and sex! But I like the way it's written. Not too much that it becomes tacky. Also, I was frustrated half of the time because I only get to read Mia's POV and I am dying to know Adam's. Maybe in the next book?

Read and Review #10 - Deeper (Robin York)

Title: Deeper

Author: Robin York

Publication date: 28 January 2014

Publisher: Random Publishing House Group - Bantam Dell

Get a copy! Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

In this New Adult debut by Robin York, a college student is attacked online and must restore her name—and stay clear of a guy who’s wrong for her, but feels so right.

When Caroline Piasecki’s ex-boyfriend posts their sex pictures on the Internet, it destroys her reputation as a nice college girl. Suddenly her once-promising future doesn’t look so bright. Caroline tries to make the pictures disappear, hoping time will bury her shame. Then a guy she barely knows rises to her defense and punches her ex to the ground.

West Leavitt is the last person Caroline needs in her life. Everyone knows he’s shady. Still, Caroline is drawn to his confidence and swagger—even after promising her dad she’ll keep her distance. On late, sleepless nights, Caroline starts wandering into the bakery where West works.

They hang out, they talk, they listen. Though Caroline and West tell each other they’re “just friends,” their feelings intensify until it becomes impossible to pretend. The more complicated her relationship with West gets, the harder Caroline has to struggle to discover what she wants for herself—and the easier it becomes to find the courage she needs to fight back against the people who would judge her.

When all seems lost, sometimes the only place to go is deeper.

My rating:

3.5 out of 5 bread consumed

My review:

*ARC generously given by the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I was not sure how to rate this book. I liked it but I wasn't in love with it. I took my sweet time reading it because the choice was either continue on and be frustrated or take my time and let the frustration ease. 

We have Caroline Piasecki, a college student whose ex-boyfriend post their sex pictures on the Internet. She's a normal, nice college girl. On her way to be a lawyer. Who makes straight A's and doesn't fool around at parties. Once the pictures are out for the public to see, she started getting harassed by strangers who want some of the action they've seen in the pictures. She found comfort in West, after witnessing an altercation between him and her ex, Nate. 

West Leavitt is the go-to guy for drugs in Putnam College, dealing from the bakery where he works. He majors in Biology, studying to be an anesthesiologist. Aside from dealing drugs, he also waits table, shelves books at the library and caddies at the golf course. West has plans, and it doesn't involve Caroline. But living across her in the dorms, seeing her every day made it hard for him to ignore her existence. 

I actually like Caroline and West, when they're not thinking about mauling each other every time they are near the other. I guess it's the hormone but really, it's like they only like each other for the sexual vibe they give out.

But sexy-time with them is hot. And I mean really hot.

And the funny thing is, once they let out their pent-up frustration, they actually think about something other than sex. Like West's family. And Caroline's family finding out her sex pictures. 

The ending felt rushed for me. The last two chapters anyway. There is so much going on that for a second there I was confused. I guess the word I'm looking for is easy. There is a bunch of thing left unsettled, unexplained and there is still this huge wall between Caroline and West by the end of it. Well, that's what cliffhanger means, right?

Favorite thing ever that I can relate to!

"I took this job expecting to be left alone, working when nobody was awake, not having to be polite or say words I don't mean, to act like I'm somebody I'm not."

Read and Review #8 - Either Side of Midnight (Tori de Clare)

Title: Either Side of Midnight

Author: Tori de Clare

Publication date: 11 July 2013
Publisher: Tori de Clare
Get a copy! Amazon


Synopsis:

WHAT IF THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE TURNED INTO YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE?

When nineteen-year-old Naomi Stone is snatched from her husband at knifepoint on the night of their wedding and taken to a deserted cemetery, she knows her life is finished. Drugged and disorientated, she loses consciousness as she lies in an open grave with a gun to her head.

But the following day, she mysteriously awakes to find herself unharmed and secured to a bed. She's in a beautiful bedroom in a secluded cottage in open countryside. Only one person knows she’s there – the man in the balaclava who’s holding her, feeding her, revealing nothing. Naomi senses the unfolding of a plan. She should be on honeymoon in the Caribbean.

Instead, she’s trapped with an emotionless psycho with no hope of escape . . . And his voice is chillingly familiar. Who is he? What does he want? What's happened to her husband? Where is she? Will anyone find her before it's too late?

My rating:

4 out 5 thinks the hero is scrumptious 

My review:

*A copy was provided generously by the author in exchange for an honest review*

It was a thrilling ride, this book. I may be a fan of mysteries but hardly ever when reading about them. Romance is more to my liking. However, when Tori told me about it, I was intrigued. And so began my journey from debating whether I want to read it to finishing it with an internal scream 'WHY END IT'. 

Before I get to the good points, I just feel like I should get all the bad out. 

1) While the writing is good, I get confused sometimes because there are too many point of views.

2) Shouldn't Camilla and Henry be called Mum and Dad? I mean, I know it's written as a third person but even though I know they're the biological parents, I can't help but think of them as step-parents because of the way Naomi and Annabel referred them by their names. I may sound ignorant because maybe there is a name for this style of writing that I'm not aware of. 

3) Certain parts can be polished to sound better and less confusing. Like the part where Nathan called Lorie for the first time and revealed the twist in the story. I mean, were it written in a less confusing way, I would  digest the information in a rather dramatic 'WHAT THE ACTUAL FAHK' kind of way.

4) The almost unrealistic connection between Dan and Naomi. It's the romantic in me saying, wait hold up a second there. I saw this coming, but there are so much missing in the middle! I ended up assuming they bonded behind the scenes.

I wasn't peeved that much by those, they're easily brushed off and aside from some minor retracing, I was able to focus on the plot. I love a good mystery. Not the paranormal kind, more towards the crime kind. And this book definitely delivered. The plan was detailed and realistic. But because I'm a sucker for romance, I was hoping for more interaction between Dan and Naomi. I was made aware that this book has little romance but once it's written in there, I can't help but want more. 

It's a good read, confusing if you don't keep up with the story (like I did) and recommended for those who likes mystery with a little romance kind of story. I enjoyed it, a bunch others enjoyed it, so why not give it a go?

Upcoming Release #1 - Hothouse Flower (Krista & Becca Ritchie)

Title: Hothouse Flower

Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Expected publication: February 2014

Synopsis:

Ryke Meadows, meet Daisy Calloway ... she’s all grown up. 

Twenty-five-year-old Ryke Meadows knows he’s hard to love. With a billion-dollar inheritance, a track-star resume, and an alpha-male personality—he redefines the term likable asshole. But he’s not living to make friends. Or enemies. He just wants to free climb three of the toughest mountains in Yosemite without drama or interruption.

And then he receives a distressed call from a girl in Paris—a girl that he has never been allowed to have.

Daisy Calloway is eighteen. Finally. With her newfound independence, she can say goodbye to her overbearing mother and continue her modeling career. Next stop, Paris. Fashion Week begins with a bang, and Daisy uncovers the ugly reality of the industry. She wants to prove to her family that she can live on her own, but when everything spirals out of control, she turns to Ryke to keep her secrets.

As Daisy struggles to make sense of this new world and her freedom, she pushes the limits and fearlessly rides the edge. Ryke knows there’s deep hurt beneath every impulsive action. He must keep up with Daisy, and if he lets her go, her favorite motto—“live as if you’ll die today”—may just come true.

Excerpt:
{Prologue}
Ryke Meadows

My life is full of unconventionalities, abnormalities and awkward fucking situations.

If you’re easily offended by crude language and inappropriate talks, you’ve taken a wrong fucking turn somewhere. You won’t understand me if you can’t handle me, and I’m not going to try to explain myself. I’m not here to smooth down my rough edges.

I’m raw.

I’m hard.

I’m the thing you shy away from.

So I’m warning you now. Back away.

Because once you enter my life, I won’t ever let you leave.

Initial thoughts:
I KNEW IT!!!

I AM ABSOLUTELY EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK. I can almost taste the tension between Ryke and Daisy. I can feel it. If I could, I would want to get one of those ARC.

Read and Review #5 - Ricochet (Krista & Becca Ritchie)

Title: Ricochet (Addicted #1.5)

Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Publication date: 1 August 2013

Publisher: K.B. Ritchie (Independent Book Publishers Association)

Get a copy! Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

As a sex addict, Lily Calloway must do the impossible. Stay celibate for 90 days. Cravings and fantasies become her new routine, but while Loren Hale recovers from his alcohol addiction, Lily wonders if he’ll realize what a monster she really is. After all, her sexual compulsions begin to rule her life the longer she stays faithful to him.

Progress. That’s what Lily’s striving for. But by trying to become closer to her family—people who aren’t aware of her addiction—she creates larger obstacles. When she spends time with her youngest sister, she learns more about her than she ever imagined and senses an unsettling connection between Daisy and Ryke Meadows.

With Lily and Lo’s dysfunctional relationship teetering and unbalanced, they will need to find a way to reconnect from miles apart. But the inability to “touch” proves to be one of the hardest tests on their road to recovery. Some love brushes the surface. Some love is deeper than skin.

Lily and Lo have three months to discover just how deep their love really goes.

My rating:

5 out of 5 hours set to do work spent on reading this book 

My review:

Warning: The topic on sex is kinda heavy here. And strangely enough, it's still not erotica!

In the last book, the story left off with Lo leaving for a 3 month stint in rehab. Like I mentioned in my review of the first book, the ending was bittersweet because Loren and Lily had never been apart since they became friends. They were so dependent on each other, so addicted to each other's presence that their separation was unbearable. For me at least.

The story continued with Lily struggling to continue life without Lo by her side. She was trying to stay loyal to Lo and not break her promises to him. In the previous book, Lily never overcame her addiction or even trying to. I didn't realize it at first but the first book focused on Loren's addiction and how it affected Lily. Here, she was suffering from withdrawals from having real sex and even masturbating more to get her fix. And since she vowed to remain celibate, she could do nothing more but fantasizing about sex and self-love. Her frustration builds because it wasn't satisfying enough and kept her restless most of the time.

Since Loren left, Lily moved in with Rose who was having an on and off again relationship with Connor. Their interaction was adorable but sometimes I can't help but wanting to scream at Connor for being a smartass 100% of the time. But somehow even though he's a smartass, he's still likable.

"That's impossible," Connor tells her. "We're the two smartest people in the entire world. You put us together, and you get a superhuman."

One interesting development in this story is Ryke and Daisy's growing relationship. However, aside from a few teasing remarks from Ryke to Daisy, their interaction is always full of anger and disappointment. One minute he was teasing her and lightly flirting with her, the next he's screaming at her for her crazy stunts. I was intrigued by their relationship because Ryke didn't even like Lily and Daisy but went to great lengths protecting them. I guess that's another thing we have yet to uncover about Ryke. Right now, even if he's still acting like an asshole, I still like Ryke.

"Daisy," he coos, waving his spoon around the air to try to get her to look at him. She barely stirs. He tries a different tactic. He dips two fingers into the gooey chocolate filling. No, I internally scream in my head. He's not going to..

Every time Ryke came into the scene, I am holding my breath because the most random and funny scenes have him in it. Without all the teasing from him, this will be a very overwhelming book filled with Lily's struggle. Her therapy sessions were interesting and we slowly get to learn more about her addiction; when it started, what started it and how did she deal with it every time. 

And her Skype session with Loren...

This is a good companion book for the next installment of this series. We get to know Daisy more and also learn about the severity of her addiction. There are just as many intense drama going on in the family as the previous book. The excerpt at the end for Addicted For Now just about killed me. Definitely picking up the next book as soon as it comes out!

Read and Review #4 - Addicted to You (Krista & Becca Ritchie)

Title: Addicted to You (Addicted #1)

Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Publication date: 22 August 2013

Publisher: K.B. Ritchie (Independent Book Publishers Association)

Get a copy! Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

She’s addicted to sex. He’s addicted to booze…the only way out is rock bottom. 

 No one would suspect shy Lily Calloway’s biggest secret. While everyone is dancing at college bars, Lily stays in the bathroom. To get laid. Her compulsion leads her to one-night stands, steamy hookups and events she shamefully regrets. The only person who knows her secret happens to have one of his own. 

Loren Hale’s best friend is his bottle of bourbon. Lily comes at a close second. For three years, they’ve pretended to be in a real relationship, hiding their addictions from their families. They’ve mastered the art of concealing flasks and random guys that filter in and out of their apartment. 

But as they sink beneath the weight of their addictions, they cling harder to their destructive relationship and wonder if a life together, for real, is better than a lie. Strangers and family begin to infiltrate their guarded lives, and with new challenges, they realize they may not just be addicted to alcohol and sex. 

Their real vice may be each other.

My rating:
5 out 5 recommend this without alcohol consumption

My review:

*A copy was given to me generously by the authors via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to one of my friends on Goodreads (Jennifer) for the status updates while reading this book that made me curious out of my mind that I finally cave in and decided to read this book. I knew about this book the day it was published (because I stalk Goodreads every day) and when I read the synopsis I was a little interested but the idea of a sex addict is sort of a turn off because I thought it would lead to sex after sex and eventually turn this new adult book into an erotica. Again, I was wrong for my judgement in books.

The opening scene didn't hold back. No sugarcoating it with happy college experience like first day of school, meeting new friends etc No, it started by introducing us to Lily's addiction, then Loren's. And what better way to introduce them than a frat row?

A sex addict is not the same as someone who likes to have sex. Constantly horny =/= addicted to sex. It's a disease, something you can't get out of. Like drug addiction. A sex addict needs relief not just for fun, but because without it they'll start to feel the withdrawal, the shaking, the anxiety, basically losing their mind if they don't get their fix. That's how Lily is. She has one night stands with numerous guys every day just to get her fix, so she could function well and act like a normal person. She's so accustomed to having sex that she goes to a bar every night to get her daily dose of sex with an anonymous guy.

Unlike most characters in books, Lily doesn't have one night stands because she's suffering from some sort of abuse or is emotionally crippled. Strangely but understandably enough, her addiction just sort of started and she hadn't stopped since.

Most people don't realize they're alcoholics until they stopped drinking. In Loren's case, he's in denial. And like anyone in denial, he gets angry when being confronted of his problem. He acknowledged it but he refuses to accept it. 

The part where Lily was trying so hard to make him drink less broke my heart because he refuses to listen which made her use her addiction to distract him from his addiction. 

"We should talk, but what do I say? Lo, I wish you would stop drinking. And he'd say, Lily, I wish you'd stop having so much sex. And then we'd look at each other and wait for the other to say okay, I'll change for you. But there'd be silence so deep and cutting that I'd feel ripped open and bare."

They feed off each other's understanding with their addiction, which made their whole relationship convenient. It wasn't until they started being together for real that their convenience was shattered. He drinks more because she started to panic over being monogamous and he doesn't want her to suffer from withdrawals. She has sex with him more to distract him from drinking more. I mean, they care for each other so much but they are feeding their own addiction trying to cure the other.

This book has three prominent side characters; Rose, Connor and Ryke. All three play major part in both Lily and Loren's life. I thought Ryke was the most interesting the moment he was introduced into the story. All I could think of was, Lily must be salivating over him. Because he sounded exactly like the guy I thought she would end up with.

The ending was bittersweet. I don't know how the book could end better than the ending that it has. When I'm done, I felt so bereft that I wasn't sure what I was doing and the time and everything around me. All I can say is that it's a good read and it's hardly erotica.  

And now I'm off to the next book in the series!